Common Name:

General Information

Callicarpa macrophylla is an evergreen shrub or small tree usually growing around 2.5 metres tall[, ].
The plant is harvest from the wild for local use as a medicine, food and source of fuel. It is grown as an ornamental in gardens, valued especially for its colourful berries.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - southern China, India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam.

Habitat

Swampy localities and ravines[]. Waste places and roadsides; at elevations up to 1,800 metres[]. Mixed forests, at elevations from 100 - 2,000 metres in China[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	2.50 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Callicarpa macrophylla is found from the warm temperate zone of southern China to the tropics. It is only likely to succeed outdoors in the mildest regions of the temperate zone[, ].
Requires a sunny position or light dappled shade[, ]. Prefers a highly fertile well-drained loamy soil[, ].
Requires cross-pollination for good fruit production[].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw. The small, white spongy fruit is sweet and succulent when fully ripe[].

Medicinal

A decoction of the leaves is used in the treatment of diarrhoea, dysentery and gastro-intestinal bleeding[, ]. A juice made from the leaves mixed with equal portions of Drymaria diandra and Oxalis corniculata is used in the treatment of gastric troubles[].
The leaves are heated and applied as a poultice to ease the pain of rheumatic joints[, , ].

The root is chewed to relieve rashes on the tongue[]. A paste made from the roots is used to treat fevers[]. The juice of the root is used to treat indigestion[].
An oil obtained from the roots is aromatic and stomachic[]. It is assumed that this is an essential oil[].

The inner bark is pounded and used as a poultice on cuts and wounds[].

The fruits are chewed to treat boils on the tongue[]. The juice of ripe fruits is used in the treatment of indigestion and fevers[].

Other Uses

Wood - soft[]. It is used as a fuel[].

Propagation

Seed - sow late winter in a greenhouse[]. Only just cover the seed[]. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 3 months at 18°c[]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter, planting them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood 10cm long, mid summer in a frame. High percentage[].
Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth with a heel[] taken in early spring[].